Effects of Zinc, Vitamin C and Folic Acid Co-Administration with Artemether-Lumefantrine on Parasitaemia and Oxido-Inflammatory Responses in Plasmodium Berghei-Infected Mice

Abstract

Malaria pathogenesis is characterised by severe oxidative stress, systemic inflammation, and profound anaemia, which are often exacerbated by concurrent malnutrition in endemic regions. While artemether-lumefantrine (AL) is highly efficacious in clearing parasites, it does not directly address this collateral damage to the host. This exploratory study evaluated the effects of co-administering Vitamins B9, C, and Zinc with standard AL therapy on oxido-inflammatory responses in Plasmodium berghei-infected Swiss albino mice. Following randomisation (per group), mice were treated with AL alone or in combination with the micronutrients for 4 days. Total parasite burden (Area Under the Curve, AUC), haematological profiles, hepatic antioxidant enzyme activities (Superoxide Dismutase [SOD] and Catalase [CAT]), and systemic C-Reactive Protein (CRP) levels were evaluated. The Kruskal-Wallis analysis of the AUC did not detect a statistically significant difference in parasite clearance kinetics among the treatment groups (). However, micronutrient co-administration significantly improved host biochemical recovery. Zinc-containing regimens markedly elevated hepatic SOD and CAT activities compared to untreated controls, while combinations incorporating Vitamins B9 and C improved Haemoglobin and Red Blood Cell counts and suppressed acute-phase CRP spikes. While the small sample size limits broad clinical inferences, the data suggests these micronutrients may ameliorate malaria-induced oxido-inflammatory damage. Larger pharmacological studies are required to determine specific synergistic mechanisms and clinical safety.